Our Mission

The mission of NAMI St. Tammany is to increase awareness and advocate for families and persons with mental health illnesses in St. Tammany Parish. The mission will be accomplished by envisioning prevention, education, and training as the primary pathways to better services and a healthier community.  NAMI St. Tammany is actively seeking funds by pursuing grant opportunities to help achieve this effort.

How a Caring Community Can Help

• Individuals can combat stigma by objecting to negative stereotyping. They can tactfully correct misunderstandings held by others about mental illness.
• Employers can hire mentally ill citizens for low-stress jobs, while at the same time realize tax advantages.
• Taxpayers can insist their taxes support a community based system of services that saves tax dollars.
•  Media persons can help by learning more about these illnesses and by always checking their facts and providing information to the public.
•  Homeowners can get facts and information before rejecting a potential neighbor who may have this type of illness.
• Church groups and local organizations can help to finance residential units or furnish existing ones.
•  Families, individuals, professionals and those with a mental illness can become members.

Background – St. Tammany

St. Tammany Parish is the 5th largest parish (county) in the state of Louisiana and has been the fastest growing parish since the 1970’s.  In fact, the population has tripled since 1970 to 191,268 in the year 2000 (US Census Bureau).  The racial and ethnic diversity of St. Tammany is as follows:  Caucasian 85.3% / Black 9.8% / Hispanic 2.5% / Other 1.3%.  The ethnic make-up of St. Tammany is rapidly changing (post Katrina) with a rapid influx of Hispanics.  Recently, the Louisiana Recovery Authority reported that the Hispanic community has increased from 2.5% in 2000 to 5.0% in November, 2006.  St. Tammany is considered one of the fastest growing communities in the nation.  Projected population growth for the next 20 years is expected at 18.8% based on a St. Tammany Needs Assessment report (2005).  Located in the greater New Orleans area (adjacent to Orleans Parish), St. Tammany has experienced an estimated 20% population increase as a direct result of transplants from Hurricane Katrina (August 29, 2005).  Housing pricing in St. Tammany has soared with much of the land area located well above sea level.

The St. Tammany Needs Assessment report indicated that one of the main problems with mental health in Louisiana is that “people don’t know how to get help."  NAMI St. Tammany is working hard to bring awareness to the local community. ”STOPS" (St. Tammany Outreach for the Prevention of Suicide) reports that St. Tammany Parish had the highest suicide rate in the state in 2004 and is the 3rd leading cause of death in the parish. There have been 156 reported suicides in the state of Louisiana between 2000 and 2004. STOPS reports that one out of four people in the state of Louisiana needs mental health treatment. On the local news, it was recently reported that anti-depressants are being prescribed at four times the pre-Katrina rate.  Post traumatic stress disorder is epidemic.  Many have lost their entire house and belongings. They’ve been uprooted to different school systems and have lost family and friends. Hurricane Katrina caused a total uninsured loss of NAMI St. Tammany office space and materials due to inundation and flooding. NAMI ST. Tammany board members have been adversely affected with a few moving from the area. With the recent population increase from Orleans Parish into St. Tammany Parish our mental health needs are greater than ever. We are experiencing a mental health shortage and overflowing mental health problems.